CapFriendly has announced that the Detroit Red Wings have reportedly signed center Cameron Hillis to a PTO. The Oshawa, Ontario native was non-tendered by the Chicago Blackhawks back in June and was unable to find a contract for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old was a Montreal Canadiens third-round pick in the 2018 NHL draft and looked poised to take the next step after he captained the Guelph Storm in his final season of OHL eligibility. Hillis posted 24 goals and 59 assists in 62 games during that final OHL run and appeared to be every bit the playmaker the Canadiens hoped he’d be.
However, once Hillis made the jump to professional hockey his undersized frame started to hinder his offensive ability. In Hillis’ first professional season in the AHL, he produced just a single goal in 18 games. The next year, 2021-22, Hillis made his NHL debut with the Canadiens but spent the lion’s share of his season in the AHL and ECHL. While Hillis posted nine points in 14 ECHL games, he continued to struggle to score at the AHL level as he posted just five goals and four assists with the Laval Rocket in 24 AHL games.
This past October Hillis was dealt by the Canadiens to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for another struggling prospect Nicolas Beaudin. The change of scenery did little to ignite Hillis’ game, and in fact, his offensive struggles became worse as he posted just two assists in 18 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs. Hillis did find an offensive pulse in the ECHL with the Indy Fuel where he posted 14 goals and 36 assists in 45 games. Given his lack of AHL success, Chicago opted to cut ties and allow Hillis to walk this offseason.
The Detroit Red Wings have made significant additions to their forward group this offseason and have a bit of a logjam going into the season. Given that, and Hillis’ struggles at both the NHL and AHL level it is hard to see him obtaining an NHL contract with the Red Wings. However, he could find an AHL deal or even an ECHL contract that would allow him to try and re-capture some of the offensive flair he showed in the OHL.
C’mon Stevie! This guy is a bust at the AHL level!
Sometimes its the system and chemistry